North Kingstown High School is located about thirty minutes south of Providence,Rhode Island and is found minutes away from historic Wickford, Rhode Island in the heart of North Kingstown. The school is relatively new and was rebuilt in 2001 after the demolition of the previous open-campus high school. The school consists of a three floor building that contains two gymnasiums, one auditorium complete with a balcony and stage. The school has a large cafeteria that has a teachers lounge and several vending machines. The school also has two art rooms, one ceramic room complete with pottery wheels and a kiln. North Kingstown High School has a band room with several practice rooms, a communications room, a library complete with computers and various other rooms for teaching purposes. The school has three computer labs that come equipped with dell computers. Located in every classroom is a television where students are able to view movies for educational purposes and the daily morning announcements provided by the communications class. The grounds of the school are well kept and contain a stadium for sports games, two parking lots for students and teachers, two tennis courts and three athletic fields. The school holds over 4,409 students, employs 430 teachers and has a teacher to student ratio of 1 : 10. North Kingstown High School is located in a close community which contains several schools. (Infoworks) Each of the students are eager to learn, and the teachers are eager to teach.
Rhode Island State Flag
Rhode Island State Flag
North Kingstown is the red area.
Community Background
Areil View of Wickford Located in North Kingstown
Gilbert Stuart Birth Place
North Kingstown, Rhode Island contains 44 square miles of land (City and Town Info, 2007) and is located in Southern Rhode Island. North Kingstown has a population of 26,326 people; 48.4% of which are male while 51.6% are female.(City and Town Info, 2007) North Kingstown lacks cultural diversity and consist of approximately 25,196 Caucasians, 256 African Americans, 145 Native Americans and 251 Asians.(City and Town Info, 2007) North Kingstown is a rather affluent community located in Southern Rhode Island. The average median income of families in North Kingstown is $69,559 while the average median state income for families falls at $42,090 (See figure 1 for more information) (City and Town Info, 2007) Most people in North Kingstown hold solid, steady jobs with good salaries and have a college education. 93% of people in the community commute to work (City and Town Info, 2007). Of the families in North Kingstown, 5.8% are below the poverty level. This number is below the state average of 8.9% of families below the poverty level. (City and Town Info, 2007) The Average household Size in North Kingstown is 2.5 persons while the average family size is 3.1 persons. (City and Town info, 2007) 74% of housing in North Kingstown is owner occupied and there are approximately 2,255,495 owned houses in the area. (City and Town Info, 2007) North Kingstown has a low crime rate with 118 reported crimes in 2007 including rapes, various assaults, burglaries, thefts, and auto-thefts. (City and Town Info, 2007).
Figure 1
Income/Poverty Table
North Kingstown
Rhode Island
United Stated
Median Household Income
$60,027 in 1999 (dollars)
$51,814
$48,451
Median Family Income
$69,559 in 1999 (dollars)
$64,733
$58,526
Per Capita Income
$28,139 in 1999 (dollars)
$25,937
$25,267
Families Below Poverty Level
423 Families
5.8%
142 Families
7.8%
9.8%
Individuals Below Poverty Level
1,846 Individuals
7.1%
566 Individuals
11.1%
13.3%
District Summary
Wickford Middle School
Davisville Elemtary
In the North Kingstown School District there is one high school, two middle schools and several elementary schools. In the district there are approximately 4,409 students and 430 teachers (Infoworks, 2008).The student to teacher ratio is average to that of the state with a 1:10 teacher to student ratio.(Infoworks, 2008) 83% of students in the district attend public schools which are made up of 96% Caucasian students. 87% of students are not eligible for a subsidized lunch program, 99% of the students are non-recipients of ELS programs and 84% of students are non-recipients of special education programs (Infoworks, 2008) The total expenditure in the district is $54,336,516 out of the total of $1,813,369,500 provided in Rhode Island. Of the $412,700 provided for per-pupil expenditure in Rhode Island, $12,324 is spent in the North Kingstown School district. $6,967 is spent in the district for instruction and $2,146 is spent on instructional support. In the North Kingstown School district $829 is spent on Leadership programs. (See Figure 2 for more information ) (Infoworks, 2008) Overall, the elementary, middle and high school in the district achieved higher than the required targets including participation and attendance rates.(Infoworks, 2008) The majority of Elementary students achieve the required proficiency rates but students with disabilities fall short in math and reading. (Infoworks, 2008) Students at the middle school level have a harder time meeting proficiency requirement especially in the areas of math and science.(Infoworks, 2008) In the North Kingstown school district, students at the high school level have the most difficulty meeting proficiency standards especially students with learning disabilities and students from poverty. Many students seem to be struggling in the math area of the proficiency tests (Infoworks, 2008) Overall, the North Kingstown School district is meeting all of it's required targets. (Infoworks, 2008)
Figure 2
Per-Pupil Expenditures Excluding Other Communities (from per-pupil Expenditures and program expenditures)
Indicator
North Kingstown
All Programs
Rhode Island
All Programs
North Kingstown
General Education
Rhode Island
General Education
Number of Students
4,409
142,785
Number of Teachers
430
14,160
Teacher/Student Ratio
1 : 10
1 : 10
Total Expenditure
$54,336,516
$1,813,369,500
$9,975
$9,409
Total per-pupil Expenditure
$12,324
412,700
Instruction
$6.967
Instruction Support
$2,382
Operations
$2,146
Leadership
$829
Hamilton Elementary
School Analysis
North Kingstown High School
North Kingstown High School is composed of 1,549 students and 114 teachers creating a student to teacher ratio of 1 to 14. This ratio is close to the state ratio of 1 to 10. (City and Town Info, 2007) The student graduation rate is higher than the state at an average of 97%. (City and Town Info, 2007) The states average graduation rate is only 85%. The current principal of North Kingstown High School is Gerald K. Foley and the assistant principal is John Lally. The two men work hand in hand to make North Kingstown a high performing and improving school. Last year, North Kingstown High School was named one of the 500 top performing schools in the country by U.S. News and World Report (NKHS.net, 2008) In each class of the high school the mission statement is posted which reads, "The mission of the North Kingstown High School Community is to provide our young adults a learning environment, both physically and philosophically, that fosters their growth as students, citizens, and individuals through opportunity, accountability, encouragement and security."(Alumni Association, NKHS.net, 2008) The High School requires that students graduate with at least 24 credits. 4 of those credits must be from English courses, 3 from science courses and 4 from math courses. Also, as a requirement, students must prove proficiency in a fine art class. In order to keep up with the No Child Left Behind Act, North Kingstown High School requires that students prove proficiency in the Senior Exhibition project and the Electronic Portfolio. Seniors at the school are required to participate in Senior Exhibition where students are allowed to research a topic of their choice and write a research paper proving a thesis. They must also create a project to prove proficiency. For the Electronic Portfolio aspect required for Graduation students must display proficiency in various subjects. Overall, North Kingstown High School has exceeded all of its required targets. According to learning and Achievement tests, North Kingstown High School scored above the state average in the mathematical and verbal SAT scores (RI Department of Education 2006). The math SAT mean score for North Kingstown for 2007 is 530 where the state mean is 483 (City Town Info 2007). For the verbal North Kingstown's mean SAT score is 525 where as the state is 478. (City and Town Info, 2007) The suspension rate at the high school is 23% per 100 students. Most often students are suspended for alcohol use, disrespect, fighting, disorderly conduct, leaving school grounds without permission and skipping classes. According to recent SALT survey reports, most students rated the school climate as average giving it a score of 3.2 out of 5. Students were clear about the clarity of behavior rules and many students believe that there is an overall positive student interaction. (For more SALT survey reports, see figure 3) North Kingstown High School provides various extra curricular activities that students enjoy becoming involved in. Some of these activities include various sports teams, mural club, drama club, high rollers club ,provided for students interested in skateboarding, and true north. Overall, North Kingstown High School is viewed positively by the students, teachers and community.
Figure 3
SALT Reports
North Kingstown High School Student Perceptions on School Environment and Supports
Perceived School Climate 06=07 (1 of 2 and 2 of 2)
Indicator
Value (scale 1 to 5)
Positive School Climate; Overall Score
3.2
Teachers provide support
3.1
Clarity of Behavior expectations and rules
3.5
Students show commitment
3.4
Positive Student interactions
3.4
Negative Student Interactions
2.9
Disciplinary Harshness
3.0
Instructional Innovation and Variation
3.1
General Quality of School Life
2.9
Conclusion
Overall, North Kingstown is a high performing and improving school and goes above and beyond to bring the best, providing the most current knowledge to the student body. With a newly renovated building, the latest technology and advancing curriculum, North Kingstown High School provides the ideal environment to foster the growth of students. The school district supplies and prepares the students for the outside world and keeps learning interesting with a near 100% graduation rate. The school strives and exceeds to meet various targets provided by No Child Left behind and allows and encourages students to be involved in both their school and their community. Overall, the school provides a safe learning environment for students to excel in learning. The school is overall a excellent school to send a child. North Kingstown provides a perfect platform for it's graduates to excel above and beyond the rest. peer edit courtney-carolineN
North Kingstown
Introduction
North Kingstown High School is located about thirty minutes south of Providence,Rhode Island and is found minutes away from historic Wickford, Rhode Island in the heart of North Kingstown. The school is relatively new and was rebuilt in 2001 after the demolition of the previous open-campus high school. The school consists of a three floor building that contains two gymnasiums, one auditorium complete with a balcony and stage. The school has a large cafeteria that has a teachers lounge and several vending machines. The school also has two art rooms, one ceramic room complete with pottery wheels and a kiln. North Kingstown High School has a band room with several practice rooms, a communications room, a library complete with computers and various other rooms for teaching purposes. The school has three computer labs that come equipped with dell computers. Located in every classroom is a television where students are able to view movies for educational purposes and the daily morning announcements provided by the communications class. The grounds of the school are well kept and contain a stadium for sports games, two parking lots for students and teachers, two tennis courts and three athletic fields. The school holds over 4,409 students, employs 430 teachers and has a teacher to student ratio of 1 : 10. North Kingstown High School is located in a close community which contains several schools. (Infoworks) Each of the students are eager to learn, and the teachers are eager to teach.
Community Background
North Kingstown, Rhode Island contains 44 square miles of land (City and Town Info, 2007) and is located in Southern Rhode Island. North Kingstown has a population of 26,326 people; 48.4% of which are male while 51.6% are female.(City and Town Info, 2007) North Kingstown lacks cultural diversity and consist of approximately 25,196 Caucasians, 256 African Americans, 145 Native Americans and 251 Asians.(City and Town Info, 2007) North Kingstown is a rather affluent community located in Southern Rhode Island. The average median income of families in North Kingstown is $69,559 while the average median state income for families falls at $42,090 (See figure 1 for more information) (City and Town Info, 2007) Most people in North Kingstown hold solid, steady jobs with good salaries and have a college education. 93% of people in the community commute to work (City and Town Info, 2007). Of the families in North Kingstown, 5.8% are below the poverty level. This number is below the state average of 8.9% of families below the poverty level. (City and Town Info, 2007) The Average household Size in North Kingstown is 2.5 persons while the average family size is 3.1 persons. (City and Town info, 2007) 74% of housing in North Kingstown is owner occupied and there are approximately 2,255,495 owned houses in the area. (City and Town Info, 2007) North Kingstown has a low crime rate with 118 reported crimes in 2007 including rapes, various assaults, burglaries, thefts, and auto-thefts. (City and Town Info, 2007).
Figure 1
Income/Poverty Table
5.8%
7.8%
7.1%
11.1%
District Summary
In the North Kingstown School District there is one high school, two middle schools and several elementary schools. In the district there are approximately 4,409 students and 430 teachers (Infoworks, 2008).The student to teacher ratio is average to that of the state with a 1:10 teacher to student ratio.(Infoworks, 2008) 83% of students in the district attend public schools which are made up of 96% Caucasian students. 87% of students are not eligible for a subsidized lunch program, 99% of the students are non-recipients of ELS programs and 84% of students are non-recipients of special education programs (Infoworks, 2008) The total expenditure in the district is $54,336,516 out of the total of $1,813,369,500 provided in Rhode Island. Of the $412,700 provided for per-pupil expenditure in Rhode Island, $12,324 is spent in the North Kingstown School district. $6,967 is spent in the district for instruction and $2,146 is spent on instructional support. In the North Kingstown School district $829 is spent on Leadership programs. (See Figure 2 for more information ) (Infoworks, 2008) Overall, the elementary, middle and high school in the district achieved higher than the required targets including participation and attendance rates.(Infoworks, 2008) The majority of Elementary students achieve the required proficiency rates but students with disabilities fall short in math and reading. (Infoworks, 2008) Students at the middle school level have a harder time meeting proficiency requirement especially in the areas of math and science.(Infoworks, 2008) In the North Kingstown school district, students at the high school level have the most difficulty meeting proficiency standards especially students with learning disabilities and students from poverty. Many students seem to be struggling in the math area of the proficiency tests (Infoworks, 2008) Overall, the North Kingstown School district is meeting all of it's required targets. (Infoworks, 2008)
Figure 2
Per-Pupil Expenditures Excluding Other Communities (from per-pupil Expenditures and program expenditures)
All Programs
All Programs
General Education
General Education
School Analysis
North Kingstown High School is composed of 1,549 students and 114 teachers creating a student to teacher ratio of 1 to 14. This ratio is close to the state ratio of 1 to 10. (City and Town Info, 2007) The student graduation rate is higher than the state at an average of 97%. (City and Town Info, 2007) The states average graduation rate is only 85%. The current principal of North Kingstown High School is Gerald K. Foley and the assistant principal is John Lally. The two men work hand in hand to make North Kingstown a high performing and improving school. Last year, North Kingstown High School was named one of the 500 top performing schools in the country by U.S. News and World Report (NKHS.net, 2008) In each class of the high school the mission statement is posted which reads, " The mission of the North Kingstown High School Community is to provide our young adults a learning environment, both physically and philosophically, that fosters their growth as students, citizens, and individuals through opportunity, accountability, encouragement and security."(Alumni Association, NKHS.net, 2008) The High School requires that students graduate with at least 24 credits. 4 of those credits must be from English courses, 3 from science courses and 4 from math courses. Also, as a requirement, students must prove proficiency in a fine art class. In order to keep up with the No Child Left Behind Act, North Kingstown High School requires that students prove proficiency in the Senior Exhibition project and the Electronic Portfolio. Seniors at the school are required to participate in Senior Exhibition where students are allowed to research a topic of their choice and write a research paper proving a thesis. They must also create a project to prove proficiency. For the Electronic Portfolio aspect required for Graduation students must display proficiency in various subjects. Overall, North Kingstown High School has exceeded all of its required targets. According to learning and Achievement tests, North Kingstown High School scored above the state average in the mathematical and verbal SAT scores (RI Department of Education 2006). The math SAT mean score for North Kingstown for 2007 is 530 where the state mean is 483 (City Town Info 2007). For the verbal North Kingstown's mean SAT score is 525 where as the state is 478. (City and Town Info, 2007) The suspension rate at the high school is 23% per 100 students. Most often students are suspended for alcohol use, disrespect, fighting, disorderly conduct, leaving school grounds without permission and skipping classes. According to recent SALT survey reports, most students rated the school climate as average giving it a score of 3.2 out of 5. Students were clear about the clarity of behavior rules and many students believe that there is an overall positive student interaction. (For more SALT survey reports, see figure 3) North Kingstown High School provides various extra curricular activities that students enjoy becoming involved in. Some of these activities include various sports teams, mural club, drama club, high rollers club ,provided for students interested in skateboarding, and true north. Overall, North Kingstown High School is viewed positively by the students, teachers and community.
Figure 3
SALT Reports
North Kingstown High School Student Perceptions on School Environment and Supports
Perceived School Climate 06=07 (1 of 2 and 2 of 2)
Conclusion
Overall, North Kingstown is a high performing and improving school and goes above and beyond to bring the best, providing the most current knowledge to the student body. With a newly renovated building, the latest technology and advancing curriculum, North Kingstown High School provides the ideal environment to foster the growth of students. The school district supplies and prepares the students for the outside world and keeps learning interesting with a near 100% graduation rate. The school strives and exceeds to meet various targets provided by No Child Left behind and allows and encourages students to be involved in both their school and their community. Overall, the school provides a safe learning environment for students to excel in learning. The school is overall a excellent school to send a child. North Kingstown provides a perfect platform for it's graduates to excel above and beyond the rest.peer edit courtney-carolineN
References
City Town Info, (2007). North Kingstown RI. Retrieved October 18, 2007, from City Town Info Web site: http://www.citytowninfo.com/places/rhode-island/north-kingstown
City Town Info, (2007). NK Senior High School. Retrieved October 18, 2007, from Info Works Web site: http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/1998/pdf/S23108.PDF
Mcwalters, P (2005). RI High School Diploma System. Retrieved October 18, 2007, Web site: http://www.ride.ri.gov/HighSchoolReform/DOCS/PDFs/HIGH%20school%20reform/HSDiploma_v071405.pdf
NKSD, (2007). NKHS - Sports. Retrieved October 18, 2007, from NKHS Web site:
http://www2.nksd.net/education/sportszone/default.php?sectiondetailid=154&sc_id=1192717643&PHPSESSID=b7b297e68bbe3c0d598519114a59b43b
NKSD, (2007). NKHS. Retrieved October 18, 2007, from NKSD Web site: http://www2.nksd.net/education/school/school.php?sectiondetailid=144&sc_id=1192733055
RI Department of Education, (2007). North Kingstown District. Retrieved October 18, 2007, from Equity and Adequacy of Resources: Per Pupil Expenditures Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/pdf/ds-insite-bar/23d-expb.pdf
RI Department of Education, (2006). Using Information. Retrieved October 18, 2007, from Info Works Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/pdf/usinginfo/23108H-info.pdf
RI Department of Education, (2006). Information Works. Retrieved October 17, 2007, from Learning & Achievement: Assesments Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/pdf/achievement/23108H-achi.pdf
RI Department of Education, (2006). Information Works. Retrieved October 17, 2007, from Safe and Supportive Schools Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/state/pov-high.pdf
RI Department of Education, (2006). Information Works. Retrieved October 17, 2007, from Engaging Families and Communities Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/state/engagingfamilies-high.pdf
State School Officers, (2006). School Data Direct. Retrieved October 17, 2007, from North Kingstown High School Web site: http://www.schoolmatters.com/app/location/q/stid=40/llid=118/stllid=247/locid=993896/stype=/catid=-1/secid=-1/compid=-1/site=pes
North Kingstown High School - NKHS Home. . (2008). Retrieved October 8, 2008, from http://www2.nksd.net/education/school/school.php?sectionid=12.
Information Works : Rhode Island Public Schools 2008 : Help. . (2008). Retrieved October 8, 2008, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2008/queries/FindDist.asp?District=23.